Over 100 well-known British Asians comprising Meera Syal, as well as Bollywood celebs Shilpa Shetty and Aamir Khan have demanded the BBC to change its decision to shut the Asian Network, the digital radio station.

The BBC is already under attack over plans declared this week to shut BBC 6 Music and confronts a new wave of protestation today as over 100 famous British Asians wish the Asian Network to be saved.

Top stars, actors and peers have signed up a letter, advocating the BBC to stop the closing of the station.

Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha, England cricketer Vikram Solanki, singers Jay Sean and MIA and Sir Mota Singh QC, Britain's highest-profile Sikh member of the judiciary also signed the letter forwarded to to BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons.

All signatories showed their "deep shock" at the BBC's verdict to shut out the national station.

The letter said that the 8-year-old digital broadcaster offers up a "key platform" for the national Asian society and provides original British Asian talent an outlet, which is obviously under-represented in the more conventional BBC.

The decision to close both the Asian Network and 6 Music were part of a policy review by BBC's director general Mark Thompson, published earlier this week, The Guardian reports. (With Input from Agencies)